Here's a quick tutorial on how to add fields to easypopulate v1.2.5.4 or 1.2.5.5

[RGME]

ZC v1.3.8a, EP v1.2.5.5.csv, MySQL v5.0.67, and PHP v5.2.5.

Still confused after reading all posts here. Trying to programmatically create a .csv file to download (import) into ZC without EP complaining. Wish to download or obtain an actual known to work example .csv file that will not only import the file without a complaint from EP but which will also result in the products showing up in the pre-existing ZC categories. Prefer 1 sent by email to me, as I wish to examine it with a hex editor. Not going to try to import it, just want to examine it. Posting it here won't let me know if it's supposed to contain 0AHex codes like the upload (export) files does after each row. I understand the download file is supposed to have tab delimited fields, but what about at the end of a row --- another tab, or a 0AHex (Line Feed) character after it? Does the header have to have a 0AHex following its last field? I understand that the sequential ordering of the header field names (the "v_" names), in the .csv being created for product download (import), have to match the way it comes from a new demo store upload (export); that's true or does the sequence not matter? If it matters and a field has no data should it just be the preceding tab and a tab following that field, or is a null string needed? I think most of my questions would be discoverable if I just had a known good file to examine! The upload (export) file created by EP (Full-EPYYYYMMDDHHMM.csv) does not have tabs in it and uses quotes around some fields, so appears to me the export file format is not the same as the needed import file format? TIA, really looking for help!

[lankeeyankee]

Here's a sample.txt file, it's tab delimited and the text is " delimited, this is what is required for EP, at least in 1.2.5.4. I have never used 1.2.5.5 so I can't say for sure about it.

The file extension must be .txt and not .csv even though you save it as a csv file type.

As you can see, I have added many more additional fields to the original EP. This imports fine, we use EP 2 or 3 times a day at least to do inventory updates from drop ship vendors and to add or modify products.

For fields where there is no value you leave it blank, it's as simple as that.

[RGME]

Thank you! My program is creating the file for EP to send to ZC just as your example shows, but with 3 differences.

Following the last header field your file shows an extra tab and then the text EOREOR. "EOR" means End Of Record (i.e., a line). I thought that column wasn't needed anymore with the latest version of EP...

Every single field is entirely enclosed in quote marks, including the "extra" field that contains EOREOR.

Every field line is terminated after the EOREOR field with a 0DHex 0AHex character sequence (i.e., ends with a CrLf). The file that EP makes (Full-EPMMDDYYHHMM) only contains a 0AHex (a Lf character) at the end of each line and does NOT contain a 0DHex (Cr) character (but I doubt it really matters about Cr).


I’ll modify my program to create the ==>.txt<== type file (that EP needs to use for download/import into ZC) to format exactly like the file you so kindly provided, lankeeyankee! Thank you a LOT for so quickly responding to my plight. I'll be back...

[RGME]

Ummm, ummm. Still having problems. Getting "No model field in record. This line was not importedthis quali | " complaint. I've attached the file I'm trying to download into ZC using EP. Only 1 record in it, plus the header. The header and record both have the same number of tab characters (31). Seems to be upset with the comma in the v_products_description_1 field? But the field is in quote marks, so I'm confused. I just don't see anything wrong with the file.

[RGME]

There was an obvious error in the last zipped example file I uploaded: the EOREOR at the end of the header was formatted wrong. Fixing it didn’t help. No matter what I did, it didn’t help, nothing I created would upload. Then I noticed that I could upload (import) to ZC the very same file I had used EP to create, although it had 2 record errors and a few skipped records that apparently didn’t match some pricing rules.

ZC v1.3.8a, EP v1.2.5.5.csv. New install of ZC with its test store.

So I *exactly* followed the formatting style that the download (export) file created by EP, named DeleteMe2.csv, which is attached to this message. Upon importing it (or a copy renamed with a .txt extension) EP finally reported:

=====
Upload Results
Filename: DeleteMe2.csv

NEW PRODUCT! - Model: 20302 | uploads/20 | | A must-hav | | | | | 30.59 | | | | 300 | | Tools & Mo | Tools | | | | | | CA Taxable | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | |
Upload Complete
=====

Yay! My days of frustration have ended, I say! Not so fast. When I go look, yes, the main category and the subcategory were indeed created. But the product is nowhere to be found. Now what?

[lankeeyankee]

try 1.2.5.4 instead

[RGME]

I did, same results. The problem is correctly formatting what EP gives to me in a Full file. I think ZC was silently dropping the product but adding the categories because of improper formatting on my end (by Excel or by program) that EP is not detecting. Starting a new thread, as I've some technical questions that probably should not be in this thread. I'm a bulldog at heart, I guess, as I really want to make this work. Need is a better word, I think!

[RGME]

That thread starter is http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showth...473#post793473

Warning, lots of tech talk, long starter.

[stxmona]

Hello

I successfully added fields to my EP (which I love btw) but have a very strange issue I thought I would throw out there.

My EP/inventory sheets include -
v_products_quantity_order_min
v_products_quantity_order_units

Because some of the products sell as min -1 units -1 and some you can order in minimums of .5 in .25 increments.

I populate my sheets using the correct fraction or number in those fields that corresponds to the item. When I upload the file...it only picks up the order_min and order_units that have fractions (typically .5/.25)even though I can see in the Easy Populate area that it clearly shows the correct numbers/fractions. If I upload again - it catches the ones that are 1/1.

Of course if the qty isn't read correctly by the cart...the order will NOT go through - you get a little yellow box telling you to adjust the quantities.

Just wondered if anyone else had this problem and if they solved it.

Thanks again for this GREAT mod!
Mona

[RGME]

I finally was able to write a VB program that reads the tab-delimited export of a distributor file and massage it into format that EP 1.2.5.4 was able to get into ZC. At a smidge over 3k products, my 1st ever store is stocked & priced and I'm very nearly done with the visual & functional changes. Almost ready to go live with it.

Did have trouble with (35s limit?) timeouts trying to get EP to import, but breaking the file into 4 equal sized ones did the trick. Had to do many attempts before could get EP to pull stuff out of ZC then, again due to timeouts. Seems to me I should be able to get 3k of products into a FULL file before 35 seconds go by and I get a timeout, but perhaps this is really a GoDaddy host caused problem?